US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signalled they will not be attending what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years, set to take place in Istanbul on Thursday. Instead, the Kremlin is sending a delegation of seasoned technocrats.

Putin had proposed the talks on Sunday, calling for negotiations “without any preconditions”. However, when the Kremlin released the list of its delegation late Wednesday, it included presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, but not Putin himself.

Following this announcement, a US official confirmed that Trump—currently on a three-nation tour of the Middle East—would also not be attending. The US leader had previously said he was considering participating.

Although Putin never explicitly confirmed he would be present in person, the absence of both leaders has dampened expectations for a major breakthrough in the conflict that Russia launched in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had challenged Putin to attend the talks “if he’s not afraid,” in what appeared to be an attempt to demonstrate to Trump who was more committed to peace—Ukraine or Russia.

While the Kyiv leader was en route to Turkey late on Wednesday, a Ukrainian official said he would only take part in the talks if Putin was present.

In his nightly video address on Wednesday, Zelenskiy said Ukraine would determine its approach to the peace talks once there was clarity on Putin’s participation.

“The answers to all questions about this war – why it started, why it continues – all these answers are in Moscow,” Zelenskiy said. “How the war will end depends on the world.”

Trump has been pushing for both sides to agree to a 30-day ceasefire to pause Europe’s largest land war since World War Two. A Russian lawmaker said on Wednesday that discussions could also include a major prisoner of war exchange.

Zelenskiy supports an immediate 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has stated he wants to begin talks to outline the terms of such a truce first.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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